When it comes to actresses, there is none great that the very lovely Audrey Hepburn and it was her role in Roman Holiday that really announced her back in 1953.
Roman Holiday
Roman Holiday was one of her earliest roles and it was the largest film and role of her career at the time - it was also her American debut. The movie saw her team up with Gregory Peck for the first time and it was at the insistence of the actor that her name was put alongside his over the top of the film's title.
The movie saw Hepburn take on the role of Princess Ann, who escapes her guardians to go and explore Rome. On her adventure through the city, she meets and falls in love with American newsman Joe Bradley (Peck).
Of course, Hepburn made many terrific movies during her career but Roman Holiday has always been my favourite and it is a movie that is still a wonderful watch today.
There is just something so romantic about the film that it really did set the standard for all romantic-comedies that have followed. The script is written with a great wit and a romance that you just cannot help but get swept along with.
But for a romance movie to work you need two believable leads... and that is exactly what Hepburn and Peck are. They have a fantastic chemistry together and it is this that really elevates this story and the film to so much more.
Peck was the actor with much more acting experience than Hepburn at this time, but she is more than a match for him. She just lights up the screen in every scene that she is in and Peck seems to be more than happy to sit back and let her shine - and she truly does shine from start to finish.
William Wyler was in the director's chair for the film, and he made this movie with a real style and grace and captured Rome at its most beautiful. This stunning backdrop really did help with the romance in the film but the city did become a character in its own right as he captured iconic sights such as the Spanish Steps and The Mouth of Truth.
Roman Holiday was the movie that helped put Hepburn on the map and her central performance won her rave reviews upon release. The movie went on to pick up ten Oscar nominations, winning three.
Hepburn won the Best Actress Oscar with her first nomination, while the film also won Best Screenplay and Best Costume Design.
Hepburn would go on to be one of the greatest actresses of all time with movies such as Breakfast Tiffany's Sabrina, Funny Face and Paris When It Sizzles in a career that spanned forty years.
Tagged in Audrey Hepburn